Stonemason and stone carver Matt Bath would like to see his whale sculpture on public display, perhaps on our coastline to help promote the whale migration season.
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Matt and partner Marina Schiewer lost their home and workshop in the Wallabi Point fire and they would like to sell the large sandstone sculpture to help them rebuild.
"I have imagined the sculpture sitting one of our beautiful headlands, Saltwater Point, Wallabi Point or Crowdy Head for tourist photo opportunities as a landmark," Matt writes.
'Helidon Breach', as the sculpture is known, was carved for the "SWELL Sculpture Festival" on Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast in 2008.
Matt carved the almost three metre tall whale out of white Helidon, Australian sandstone which is durable and suited to our climate and conditions. It weighs about 3.5 tonne.
And the asking price? $18,500.
Matt grew up in Sydney and completed his apprenticeship with one of the city's leading heritage restoration firms in 2000. He travelled around Australia and settled in south east Queensland, where he worked on heritage restoration jobs and prestige homes on the Gold Coast.
Matt moved to the Manning Valley and established his business locally in 2009. He has been working with a man building a medieval castle at Wallabi Point, a job Matt describes as a "stonemason's dream."
Matt had almost finished the first floor of the castle when Marina, a stonemason from Germany, joined him in 2016. Marina, who grew up around castles and cathedrals, is herself a stonemason, graduating as the only girl in her class. She was backpacking around Australia when she googled 'stonemason' and discovered Matt.
Since then they have both been working on the castle between commissions.
The whale sculpture is currently in residence at Port Macquarie. For more information, Matt can be contacted on 0438 832 824 or visit the website www.mattbathstonecarving.com.au
